MLB News

Hosmer slated for starting duty on Saturday

KANSAS CITY -- Eric Hosmer isn't going anywhere, except back into the Royals' starting lineup on Saturday night against the Diamondbacks.

Manager Ned Yost said on Friday that, despite Hosmer's .174 average, he's not headed back to the Minor Leagues for a rejuvenation stay.

"We're nowhere near that point," Yost said.

"If you're just looking at batting average, he's struggling. If you watch him every single day, he's leading our team with 15 or 18 hard-hit line outs which, if half of those had fallen for him, we wouldn't even be having this discussion."

Hosmer, as of Friday, was second on the club with 18 RBIs and tied for second in homers with five. Yost took him out of the starting lineup on Thursday afternoon against the Orioles and Friday night vs. the D-backs after he appeared to be pressing a bit in a 0-for-7 slide.

"The reason he was sat down is that he was starting to get more impatient with the process -- he was wanting it to happen and was starting to come out of his approach a little bit," Yost said. "So it was a good time to give him time for some mental cleansing, relax a little bit, get his mind straight and, bam, right back in there again."

Yost said that he'd gone through similar funks at Milwaukee with future All-Stars such as Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and J.J Hardy, and last year with Royals Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas.

"Esky's having an All-Star caliber year at this point, he's hitting .300. Moose is having an All-Star year to this point, he's hitting .293," Yost said.

Yost is confident that Hosmer will have a similar rebound.

"This kid could be better than all of them," Yost said. "I have total belief that this kid is going to be one of the best players in the American League."

KANSAS CITY -- Eric Hosmer isn't going anywhere, except back into the Royals' starting lineup on Saturday night against the Diamondbacks.

Manager Ned Yost said on Friday that, despite Hosmer's .174 average, he's not headed back to the Minor Leagues for a rejuvenation stay.

"We're nowhere near that point," Yost said.

"If you're just looking at batting average, he's struggling. If you watch him every single day, he's leading our team with 15 or 18 hard-hit line outs which, if half of those had fallen for him, we wouldn't even be having this discussion."

Hosmer, as of Friday, was second on the club with 18 RBIs and tied for second in homers with five. Yost took him out of the starting lineup on Thursday afternoon against the Orioles and Friday night vs. the D-backs after he appeared to be pressing a bit in a 0-for-7 slide.

"The reason he was sat down is that he was starting to get more impatient with the process -- he was wanting it to happen and was starting to come out of his approach a little bit," Yost said. "So it was a good time to give him time for some mental cleansing, relax a little bit, get his mind straight and, bam, right back in there again."